EatFirst's corporate social responsibility practices

We're passionate about making a difference and believe it's our social responsibility as a business to have a positive environmental impact and improve the local community while maintaining the highest standard of business practices.

The EatFirst team

Our corporate social responsibility values

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Sustainability

We collaborate with our catering partners and suppliers to increase sustainability practices for all catered events and functions across Australia. We aim to reduce our carbon footprint by  reducing waste, using recyclable and biodegradable materials and minimising delivery distances.

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Community

We want to make a positive impact in the community. Beyond helping businesses to come together through food, we aim to build long-term relationships with local businesses, support Australian farmers and work with charities and create a valued partnerships.

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Governance

We're committed the highest standard of corporate governance and to take a transparent and accountable approach to business. Be assured we always conduct business in strict compliance with laws and with the highest standards of personal and corporate integrity.

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Environmental sustainability initiatives

Did you know throwing away just one hamburger wastes just as much water as taking a 90 minute shower?

We currently waste a huge 7.6 million tons of food every year - that's 312kg per Australian to put it into perspective.

From the beginning of the manufacturing process to leftovers we're throwing out, there's an environmental impact every step of the way when it comes to food consumption.

At EatFirst, we want to help reduce that.

We want to be part of the solution to what has become the country's $36.6 billion-per-year problem. Our way of achieving this is by working with our suppliers and catering partners to increase sustainability practices for all catered functions and events across the board.

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Our three focus areas for sustainable catering practices

Recyclable Kitchen Utensils
We encourage our suppliers to use catering trays, cutlery and napkins that are recyclable, compostable, or made from recycled sustainable resources.

Locally Sourced Ingredients
You can rest assured knowing that everything is sourced from local and vetted Australian businesses, including Indigenous suppliers and social enterprises!

Sustainability Rating
We encourage best-practice by rating our suppliers' sustainability measures on a number of important criteria, and showcasing this to our customers.

Within our marketplace, we have included a sustainability rating for our corporate caterers, in the form of green leaves.

Read more about our sustainable catering efforts
Woman serving coffee and cakes at a local cafe

Supporting local business and giving back to the community is a part of who we are


Not only do we believe the best food fresh and locally produced food (and Delicious magazine seems to agree!), but it's also helpful to more than just those eating it.

We work with many independent caterers and cafés to help promote their businesses and do the marketing for them that they wouldn't be able to on their own.

Aside from working with local caterers, restaurants and cafés, we believe it's important to work with charities and organisations that are working to make the world a better place.

Causes that are close to our heart

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OzHarvest

Committed to halving Australia's food waste by the year 2030, OzHarvest collects quality surplus from supermarkets, restaurants and even workplaces and turns it into meals that those in need within local communities can truly use.

When we have an order that's been cancelled too late and it's already been prepared, we'll try to organise a pick-up from OzHarvest so that the food still goes to good use and does not find its way to a landfill.

If your company has extra food leftover after an event or you've accidentally ordered too many office snacks, we encourage you to contact OzHarvest on 1800 108 006. The team will pick up the excess food and ensure it gets to the people who need it.

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R U OK?

Along with making our own charitable contributions, in our office we host a potluck meal and encourage the EatFirst team to check in on one another.

We also help other companies organise morning teas and lunches to encourage supporting R U OK day within their offices.

Dozens of our catering partners put together special items for the day, with some donating proceeds or ingredients to the cause.

Bunji Catering logoKallico Catering logoSomething Wild logoKoora Kulcha logoGather Foods logoThe Mission Caters logo


Supporting proud Aboriginal caterers and social enterprises
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As part of our aim to support local businesses, we want to ensure we're highlighting the fantastic work that Indigenous caterers are doing to preserve Australia's history through food.

For example, Adelaide's Something Wild uses Indigenous produce, game meats and native greens to create delicious and uniquely Australian menu items both in its catering and at its stall at Adelaide Central Markets. Meanwhile, Melbourne's Bunji Catering, is "dedicated to feeding people, culture, connection and our rich heritage".

If you'd like to support more Indigenous catering companies or other businesses, we offer the function to filter by Indigenous-owned companies within our marketplace. Alternatively, Supply Nation offers a directory of registered businesses across Australia.

Creating a business model that's trustworthy and transparent

We believe it's our ethical responsibility to be as transparent as possible with our customers, catering partners and internal employees.

It's about much more than simply complying with Australian employment laws. We believe to truly be socially responsible, we need to do more.

Our dedicated teams nurture our long-term relationships with

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What we do for our EatFirst team members

At EatFirstalso care deeply about the wellbeing of each and every employee at EatFirst and strive for our workplace to be a positive and welcoming environment for all.

We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, colour, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws.

Beyond that, some of the benefits we offer to each team member includes a flexible, hybrid working environment, paid parental leave and encouraging our office to be a welcoming, open and respectful environment.